Modern film-handling and projection facilities in commercial movie theaters have for many years utilized turntable-type projection equipment. Some examples of such well-known film handling equipment are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,661,337, 3,780,959, 3,823,890 and 4,169,566. In using such equipment to move a film to and from the projector, a coiled motion picture film rests on a round horizontal flat table and is unwound from the center of the coil upon turning of the turntable. Then, after running through the projector, the film is taken up on another similar turntable.
In preparing feature-length motion picture films for projection using such equipment, several individually coiled film segments, which are shipped to the theater in a box containing several reels, are spliced together usually using special "set-up" equipment. Once these several film segments are spliced together, the entire film is wound onto an inner ring which is removably attached to the upper surface of one of the turntables. Such turntable becomes the turntable from which the film is fed to the projector during the first run of the film at the theater.
As is typical in the commercial movie theater industry, a film may be shown several times over a course of several days before it is scheduled for shipment to another theater or return to a commercial film library. After the last showing, it is necessary to cut the feature-length film into several segments and rewind it onto several reels. The reels are then inserted in a box for shipment.
The process of repetitive splicing and cutting of feature-length motion picture films causes many problems, for a number of reasons.
One very obvious problem is that set-up and break-down operations are very time-consuming and costly. Such operations are often carried out by unskilled theater personnel which increases the problems associated with set-up and break-down. Any time a film is spliced together or cut there are possibilities for error and unnecessary film damage.
Of not insignificant concern is that, as would be expected, minor segments of the artistic content are removed such that over a long period of time the quality of the film is noticeably degraded. In point of fact, it can be seen that this common manner of handling major motion pictures in effect places the artistic content of the film in the hands of those who should have no responsibility for it.
Furthermore, the practice of repetitively splicing and cutting, setting up and breaking down, major motion picture films greatly increases the exposure of such films to dirt, nicks, scratching, creasing, finger marks and the like. Given that the process is repeated over and over, the integrity and useful life of films are threatened.
There has been a long-standing need for an improved system and means for handling and shipping motion picture film. In particular, there is a need for a container for shipping and handling feature-length motion picture films in condition ready for projection using turntable-type projection equipment of the type widely used in commercial theaters.